1 Corinthians 1:26–31
St. Matthew 3:13–17
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Baptism of Jesus belongs in the Epiphany season because it’s one of the clearest epiphanies or manifestations of the Son of God. In fact, it is the clearest vision of the Holy Trinity: one God in three Persons. The Father’s voice speaks from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Son, the Man, Jesus, stands in the water of the Jordan River. And the Spirit descends like a dove and comes to rest on Him.
This revelation of the Holy Trinity at Jesus’ Baptism should also tell you something about your own Baptism. This is why you are baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity—in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descends and comes to rest on you. With the water and the Word, Christ the Son takes away your sin and covers you with His own righteousness. And the Father declares, “You are My beloved child. With you I am well pleased.”
Sounds good! Better than good! What can possibly be better than being baptized by the Holy Trinity? Do we have any idea of the infinite worth and dignity poured upon us when the one living God of the universe comes to us and serves us in this way? Do I need earth’s treasures many? No, I have one treasure worth more than any—my Baptism—That brought me salvation free Lasting to eternity! (LSB 594:1).
Sounds really good. But what about when things are not so good? What does a Christian do when it seems that all of earth’s treasures many have been stolen away? How does a Christian rejoice and go on with life when it feels like we’ve lost our way, or that we’ve hit bottom, or that even the bottom has dropped out and there’s nothing holding us up? The glory and honor of Baptism sounds good but then sickness comes when we were least expecting it. Tragedy strikes, and it seems like it usually strikes the people that least deserve it. Death still waits for each of us, or comes rushing at us, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. What are we supposed to do then? How are we supposed to keep positive when all we want to do is cry until there are no more tears left? How are we supposed to keep praying when we’ve got no words for our fear or grief? How are we supposed to keep faith when it seems like even God has abandoned us?
When nothing else revives your soul, Your Baptism stands and makes you whole. Let me say that again: When nothing else revives your soul, Your Baptism stands and makes you whole (LSB 596:5). Your Baptism is good and true whether you feel it or not, whether you even think about it or not. Your Baptism is the eternal guarantee from the one true God that He is your God and you belong to Him. He never breaks a promise.
So, what do we do when all is lost? Remember your Baptism.
O Christian, firmly hold this gift
And give God thanks forever!
It gives the power to uplift
In all that you endeavor.
When nothing else revives your soul,
Your Baptism stands and makes you whole
And then in death completes you (LSB 596:5).
Although, maybe that seems like a strange way to end that hymn stanza: And then in death completes you (LSB 596:5). But you see, what got started at your Baptism, continues every day of your life: God is drowning you, the old sinner, and raising you, the new man. There’s no other way to deal with sin than by killing the sinner. God puts you to death with Jesus so that He can raise you up again with Jesus. That got started with that little bit of water and the Word. And it will finally be complete when you are dead for good. Because then all that remains is for you to be raised for good.
Now all that drowning and dying seems negative and backwards to the world. But that’s the kind of God we have. He doesn’t do things the world’s way. Remember what the Apostle taught us in the Epistle reading: Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
God works and saves in weak and lowly ways, because He doesn’t want anyone getting the idea that they saved themselves by their own efforts, pulled themselves up into heaven by their own bootstraps. So, God upsets the world and does things His own way. He calls weak and lowly people to be His people—foolish, no-good sinners like Moses and David, Peter and Paul, you and me. And God uses weak and lowly, even despised things, when He is doing His will. He uses things like persecution and cancer and death. He does this for our good, to bring us to nothing, so that we may know that we are nothing without Him, so that we have no reason to boast in ourselves. Even the most kind, humble, and gentle person we know has an arrogant old sinner inside them, and that has to be killed.
But most important of all, God did His saving work in the most weak, foolish, lowly, despised way possible: He gave His Son over to suffering and death. The Son of God was forsaken and damned. But by doing this backwards thing, He satisfied God’s Law, He destroyed the power of death, He crushed the devil, and He opened the gates of heaven for all who believe. Christ Jesus, the God who died and rose again, He became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” God saves you in His weak and lowly way. He saves you by His Son dying and rising, and by baptizing you into that dying and rising, joining you to Christ in His holy death and in His victorious resurrection.
Baptism itself is quite a weak and lowly looking thing. Just some water and some words. But Baptism is something to boast about. We don’t arrogantly boast about ourselves, but we, His baptized ones, we boast in the Lord. We, baptized children of God, can’t help but sing and shout and boast in what He has made us: God’s own child, I gladly say it: I am baptized into Christ! There is dignity and worth beyond anything in this life. There is a foundation that cannot be taken away, a promise that cannot be broken.
Sin, disturb my soul no longer: I am baptized into Christ! Although we often remember our sins and they still cause us sorrow, they cannot hurt us. They are covered by the perfection of our Savior. Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! The devil will try to dissuade us, tempt us, bring us to despair, but if we’re with Jesus in our Baptism, then the devil is just a liar, and our God will put an end to him and to all his noise. Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ! Those who are baptized and believe are immortal. They will live forever with Christ. Not even death can deny this promise we have from God. Baptism really is something to boast about—even when things seem to be at their worst—here’s something to boast in the Lord about.
There is nothing worth comparing
To this life-long comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ;
I’m a child of paradise! (LSB 594)
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
